More than Beards
by lovecanbesostrange
Summary: Santana and Dave are posing as beards, but what do they talk about when they are alone?


**Spoilers:** set between "Born this way" & "Rumours" (2x18/19)

**Summary:** Santana and Dave are posing as beards, but what do they talk about when they are alone?

**Author's Note:** After "Night of Neglect" I made a joke about a Santofsky "relationship" and soon my wish was granted. But I think it's sad we only got them together in the Lima Bean for the initial starting point and never had any more private interaction between them. So here's a quick take on that. I don't know if this will be just this one-shot, maybe I'll come back for more.

**Disclaimer:** I only borrow the characters, filling in blanks the non-profit way. No claims on anything "Glee".

/

Dave drummed his fingers on the steering wheel of his car. He was parking in the Lopez' driveway for almost ten minutes, trying to postpone the confrontation as long as he could. Kurt was back at McKinley, he even put on that ridiculous Bully Whips gear and patrolled the halls. Why did she need to insist on this prom campaign? Why did he have to spend any more of his free time with the bitchy ex-cheerleader? He took another breath and finally got out of his car. He rang the doorbell and wished himself away once more. Even another fight with Azimio about the Bully Whips would be better than this.

"Hi, Karofsky, about time."

"Hi, Santana", he more growled than spoke and reluctantly followed her into the kitchen. The place was not bad. It fit the high maintenance vibes Santana gave off. Any other time he might even had something nice to say about her home. Now he just sat down in a chair and glared at her.

"I have my laptop here, a scanner, hope you brought some photos."

He reached into his pocket and tossed an envelope at her. "Couldn't we just have done this by mail or something? We can walk around school campus all lovey-dovey as you want, but why force me to come here?"

For a second there she looked puzzled, like she was actually surprised he didn't want to do this. But of course as soon as she opened her mouth that moment was gone. "If you don't want the whole school picturing you and Hummel in a reader's digest version of the Kamasutra we're doing this campaign by the book. I needs this crown."

"Easy, easy, you do-"

"Santana?" A female voice called from the hallway and Santana immediately left the kitchen. Some Spanish words were exchanged - maybe he should have paid more attention in Schuester's class - and then the woman, obviously her mother, Dave figured, left the house.

"Do your parents even know?"

"You must be even thicker than Finn Hudson, if you thi-"

"No, not that. I mean what a bitch you are. You seem to have that sweet and innocent daughter act down so well."

Santana just sat down on the other side of the table, opened her laptop and didn't say anything for almost a minute. Dave made a mental note to reward himself with a burger afterwards.

"Last time I've been cocky around my family my abuela washed my mouth out with soap. Literary. I burped up bubbles for a week." Dave could only see her eyes, the rest of her face was blocked by the screen. "I was fourteen. So, no, they think I'm their little angel. Their very heterosexual, normal, happy, soon to be Prom Queen angel. And that's why I want to do this with you. Well… maybe other reasons, but… nevermind."

Dave was taken aback by this outburst. They had spend some time together when he learned the speech he gave in front of the Glee Club, but they never trailed off to any slightly personal topic. He thought of his own way of coping with his parents. It had been easier for him to torture Kurt. He had been okay with his Dad to believe he was a tough as nails bully, who would physically harm someone for being gay. He was okay being feared and that his father barely recognized the person he raised. And here he sat at the table of a person he despised. And he realized Santana wasn't quite so different. Although it was a rather sad truth he just discovered he had to smile.

"Of course, my family business amuses you."

"No, I just thought of something. Doesn't matter. Start your photoshop and let's get this thing going."

After looking through some pictures and finding the best match they could, Santana remembered her manners and offered Dave something to drink. She got some water for herself and gave him a coke. Instead of sitting back on her chair though she hopped onto the counter and looked at Dave.

"How come you don't wear your letterman jacket? I don't think I ever saw you without it."

"You don't wear your Chee… oh, sorry. I'm still not used to you not being on the squad anymore. For years I've never seen you wearing anything else. You even came to some parties in that thing."

"I miss it, maybe the uniform even more than the cheerleading. It was… armor."

"Showing you belong to a club, you had your place in the McKinley hierarchy", Dave nodded his head. It was the same way for him. He left out the part that his jacket was in fact on the passenger seat of his car. "Makes you wonder how many more of us are there."

"There are definitely more of us than more of Kurt. Why must he be so freaking obvious about it? Making himself such a target?" Santana was fidgeting with the cap of her bottle.

"He is braver than us, I guess. And more… sure of himself. I mean, I haven't really… it's just_…" What am I doing here? It's none of her business!_ Dave took a large gulp to stop himself from talking.

"You mean he isn't ashamed. Trying to pass for normal. We have to protect him, Dave. If Kurt doesn't make it I don't think I ever will."

Now he was really at a loss for words. He just handed Santana Lopez the opportunity to make a remark about his lack of sexual experience and she didn't take it. She seemed so serious. This was not what he had expected at all.

"Santana, why are you being so… nice? I mean, blackmailing me into doing this and now…" He let his words trail off, because he couldn't figure out to put this weird situation into the right words. But he seemed to have pushed the right button, because there it was again - furrowing brows, angry Santana rose to the surface.

"Blackmail? Is that all you think this deal is?"

"Well, yeah…"

"Don't be so stupid, how would that even work? Yes, okay, I was a bitch the way I sprung this all on you. The beards thing, I mean. But I needed your full attention and I know asking nicely doesn't get me very far. But come on, how dumb are you? We're in this together, I can't just out you. You'd take me down with you!"

Dave thought back to that meeting in the Lima Bean. Santana had been very clear about the consequences if he had said no. So he never really thought about that option.

"Okay, maybe having one of the footballers being a friend of Dorothy would be more newsworthy and I could try to just deny everything, but still, if I really wanted to blackmail you, I wouldn't have outed myself first. That would have been moronic. But the initial shock got me what I wanted and I thought by now we'd be on the same page anyway."

For the first time since he entered the house Dave relaxed a little bit. Santana's explanation made a lot of sense and it was actually nice talking to someone. The only other person who knew his secret was Kurt and he seemed a bit pushy about it. He might not out Dave, but he brought the idea up every time they spoke. Santana was in the closet, just like him, she understood.

"We are." He simply said. "We protect Kurt and we'll win this campaign. For us, to have something we can look back to."

"Right, I won't leave this place as an outsider, I wanna go out on top."

They raised their bottles and drank to that. Dave still had some questions, but they returned to making their campaign posters and didn't bring up any more personal stuff. But it felt good that he knew he could. He wasn't sure, but maybe this had been Santana's way of reaching out to him, reaching out to someone that wouldn't judge. That was new ground for both of them. So when he finally left the good-bye was accompanied by a quick and sincere hug.

"See you tomorrow, Karofsky."

"Looking forward to it." And he meant it.


End file.
